to answer the latter question with an
emphatic No! As to the acting, it might be improved were Mr. STODDARD to
play the character for which he is cast, instead of insisting upon
playing nothing but STODDARD. But to all the rest of the actors, not
forgetting Mr. RINGGOLD, who plays the insignificant part of the
"Innocuous Youth," PUNCHINELLO is pleased to accord his gracious
approval.

MATADOR.

* * * * *

A Balmy Idea.

According to Miss ANTHONY, the crying evil with women is that they will
blubber; but it must be remembered that out of this blubber they make
oil to pour into our conjugal wounds.

* * * * *

A Suit for Damages.

Any clothes in a storm.

* * * * *

[Illustration: THE POLITICAL MILL-ENNIUM.]

* * * * *

HINTS UPON HIGH ART.

Observant visitors to the National Academy of Design will allow that a
tendency to greatness is beginning to develop itself in certain
directions among our artists. In landscape some of them are almost
immense. The works of PORPHYRO warm the walls with rays of splendor, or
cool the lampooned sight-line with pearly gradations, as the case may
be. MANDRAKE renders feelingly the summer uplands and groves, and
SILVERBARK the melancholy autumnal woods. BYTHESEA infuses with
sentiment even the blue wreaths of smoke that curl up from the distant
ridge against which loom the concentrated lovers that he selects for his
idyllic romances. Gushingly he does his work, but thoroughly; and there
are other flowers than lackadaisies to be discerned in his herbage.
GUSTIBUS blows gently the foliage aside, and gives us glimpses through
it of rural contentment in connection with a mill, or some other
interesting object beyond. The pencil of SAGEGREEN imbues canvases, both
large and small, with infinite variety and force; and it is to
SKETCHMORE that the great lakes owe their remarkable reputation as
pieces of water with poems growing out of their broad lily-pads. Very
tender are the pastoral banks and brooksides of LEAFHOPPER. ELFINLOCKS
takes up his pencil, and lo! a hazy, mazy, lazy, dreamy vista where it
has touched. But hold! Our critical Incubus has taken the bit between
her teeth, and is beginning to run away with us. Stop that; and let our
readers enumerate the other first American landscape painters for
themselves.

Not so strong are our artists in domesti